Ice Cream to Share
by kawaii-tomodachi
Summary: They say that if you love some one, they'll love you back, but they lied... (R&R)
1. A New Feeling

Ice Cream to Share  
  
Chpt. 1  
  
The Love of a Stranger  
  
Authors Note: Please forgive me...I didn't finish my last two stories. I didn't really like how they were going about. And everything was too sad.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marmalade Boy.  
  
---  
  
It was lonely Valentine's Day for Miki. Another year had gone by since Yuu had left her. She was still sad, but not as much as she used to be. It was right after college graduation when their breakup happened. They had made up from their first breakup at a hotel on a fake vacation. Yuu still went to Kyoto Institute of Technology, but Miki decided to stay her college near home. They spent the next four years quite happily. But a couple months after graduation, Yuu met her at a technology convention. After the convention, Yuu had spent a lot more time out with his buddies. Miki started to get suspicious. Then, the following Valentine's Day, he ended it.  
  
. : Flashback : .  
  
They stood in the park on a rainy afternoon on Valentine's Day. It was dark and gloomy. Miki, taking shelter under a tree, stood waiting for Yuu. She looked around, watching the rain fall and hearing the wind howl. A dark figure appeared out of the rain. Miki recognized it as Yuu and ran towards him.  
  
"Oh, Yuu! I waited so long! Where have you been?" She shouted while running to him.  
  
He took her hands and ran his hand along her face. "I'm sorry if I kept you long. You look cold. Here, take this." He handed her his warm jacket. She smiled and walked with him under his umbrella.  
  
"I'm warm now. Thanks." She said reaching for his hand.  
  
He pulled his hand away, and hid it in his pockets.  
  
She looked surprisingly at him. He wasn't even looking at her. Was he ignoring her? Was he mad? No, there was nothing to be mad of. Miki put her hands in her own pockets trying to hide her disappointment  
  
There was a long silence as they walked along the park sidewalk. Yuu seemed to have trouble looking into Miki's eyes. He was tense. Miki, sensing his tenseness, looked numbly forward.  
  
Finally, he spoke, "Miki, there's a reason I called you out here. Now it's not that I hate you or anything, and please don't be mad with me, but I just can't look at you as my girl any more."  
  
Miki stopped walking. Her heart froze. She felt as if she had been stabbed by a thousand knives. Pain rushed into her. Her eyes turned from cheerful hazel brown to a dark death. Yuu stopped walking and looked at her. They stood that way for what seemed an eternity to Miki. He just said the words that she thought would never come out of his soft, cheerful mouth. How could he? It was impossible! They were meant for each other! Forever! Forever to end!  
  
He took her arm. "Miki, please don't be mad-"  
  
How could he ask her not to be mad! She was furious! This stupid bastard is nothing but a jerk! "How could you tell me not to be mad! I love you, yet you still do this to me. It's that girl you met isn't it! I knew it! I hate her! I hate you! I just can't take it. I can't take it..." She burst into tears.  
  
"Miki..." Yuu reached to hug her, but she pushed him away.  
  
She stood two feet away from him. Her face buried in her hands. Tears streaming down her face. I can't take it, she thought. Eight years of love and companionship, broken by one sentence. She couldn't believe it. Miki felt alone and helpless. She ran. She didn't know where to, but she just ran.  
  
Yuu stood in the rain, looking at the slim figure running from him.  
  
. : End Flashback : .  
  
Miki sat in her room. Alone, thinking of her terrible past. She stood up and walked out her room, looking blankly at Yuu's room. He didn't live in the family home anymore. He moved in a condo with his new girlfriend. Yet, that wasn't the fragment of memory that bothered Miki. It was merely the fact the girlfriend, Tashi Miwako, was once Miki's close friend. Once, but not anymore. Miki had met Tashi in a pet store, where she and Yuu had purchased their first pet, Tomodachi. Tashi was just the clerk. And after that moment, Miki and Tashi had gone out as friends on shopping trips and lunches. Luckily, Yuu didn't remember her very well.  
  
Miki moped down the stairs into the kitchen. Everyone in the house was gone. Jin and Chiyako went on a vacation to the Caribbean, and Rumi and Youji went to California. Even Arimi and Ginta went to the movies, while Meiko and Nachan left to go to an amusement park. Miki was completely deserted. Miki decided to go to the mall on a shopping trip.  
  
---  
  
The all was full of couples. Holding hands, kissing, hugging, and even butt- grabbing was going on. Miki was disgusted. She walked into a small outlet with her favorite clothes. Miki observed a graphic-tee with a small unicorn. It looked so happy, Miki was envious of it. It was stupid, but Miki felt stupid right now anyway.  
  
She gave up clothes shopping and headed for the food court. No one was cooking dinner at home, so she might as well eat here. The Panda Express booth wasn't all so bad so she strutted over and got orange chicken. Miki sat down alone at a two-seat table. The orange chicken turned out to be gross and she made a sickening face.  
  
"That must be some bad chicken if you're making that face. Mind if I sit here?" Miki was startled. She turned around and nodded. After all, it'd make her seem less like a loner. The guy sat down and smiled at her. She smiled softly. He began taking his food out of the package bag. It turned out to be vanilla ice cream with chocolate pudding. He took his spoon and began eating.  
  
"Ooh, brain-freeze." His face scrunched up. Miki covered her mouth and giggled. He looked at her. "What's so funny?"  
  
"It's just that your face was so...so...funny looking." Miki forced out words. She had difficulty speaking because of her laughter.  
  
The man stuck his tongue out at her. She stopped laughing and stuck her tongue out too. She looked closely at him while he ate. He had light brown hair and sparkly green eyes. He had the face of a small boy, but the deep voice of a man. His build was strong and fit. He was quite handsome. He noticed that she was staring at him and looked up.  
  
"Yes, I know I'm beautiful. Please, no auto-graphs." He humored her, and it worked.  
  
"What is your name sir?" She asked politely.  
  
"Please, don't call me sir. I'm pretty sure that I'm your age." He splattered ice cream everywhere.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"My name is Taka Tomoshi. I'm 24. You?"  
  
"Miki Koishikawa. I'm 24 too."  
  
Taka looked at her for a moment, but started eating again. He saw that Miki hadn't eaten her food since he came and said: " Um...you haven't eaten your food yet. It's probably gonna get cold."  
  
She looked at her platter of chicken and frowned. She looked back at Taka. Half asking for ice cream and half seeking sympathy.  
  
Taka got her message. "Hey, it was your money, not mine."  
  
She scoffed.  
  
He smiled. Taka got up and went over to the ice cream vendor. He spoke to the vendor man quietly. While he was waiting he glanced at Miki and smiled. He reached into his pocket had took out money. Miki watched silently as he walked back. On the table, he placed a huge cup of vanilla ice cream. He handed a spoon to her and kept one for himself. He winked and began eating from the cup. She was shocked. A total stranger buying her ice cream for them to share. I guess he isn't so bad, she thought to herself. She began eating too.  
  
---  
  
After they finished the ice cream, Taka walked Miki around the mall. They weren't doing anything couple like, but when a cute girl (as Miki thought) walked by, Taka didn't even glance over. He kept his attention on Miki the whole time!  
  
"So, can I call you Miki?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, if I can call you Taka." She placed a deal.  
  
"Alright then." He held out his hand and Miki shook it.  
  
He took Miki to a small store and bought her a teddy bear. "To make us look like a couple. I mean it is Valentine's Day and all." Miki nodded with agreement. He put his hands on her shoulder and used the very same excuse.  
  
"So Miki, are you always lonely on Valentine's Day?" he said.  
  
Miki looked down at the ground. Taka noticed her gloomy expression and smiled at her. She smiled back.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Well, to change the subject, I'm declaring myself single today."  
  
"What?" Miki was confused.  
  
"My girlfriend broke up with me a couple months ago and moved in with a dufus."  
  
Feeling sympathy, Miki said "I'm sorry,"  
  
"It's not your fault. It was me. She was giving me signals ever since we started dating, I just never paid much attention to them."  
  
Miki looked at him. His eyes were sad and watery. She recognized his feelings as her very own. She felt sad too, now that she knew that other people go through what she does. Taka was such a nice guy, but she only knew him for a couple hours. Still, she was already attracted to him. It was funny....  
  
Miki surged forward and hugged him. Taken with surprise, Taka hugged her back. Miki, noticing what she was doing, backed away.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I don't even know what I'm doing." She said.  
  
"It's okay. Everyone needs a good hug now and then." His smile warmed her up.  
  
She looked at her wrist-watch, it was ten o'clock. The mall would be closing very soon. She glanced up at Taka. He was looking at her. Her face turned cherry red.  
  
"Well, it's late, I better get going." She said.  
  
"Okay... I'll miss you."  
  
"What? Why?" Miki was stricken by surprise.  
  
"Well, here's my number: 123-456-7890. Call me when ever. I'd really like to go out sometime. You seem nice. Not to mention super cute!" Taka reached for her face and pinched her cheeks.  
  
Miki took the tiny piece of paper he offered and blushed. "O-okay."  
  
Taka took off towards the south end of the mall. Miki watched him walk away. After awhile, he waved back to her. She thought, Maybe this is my second chance. He's nice, funny, and charming. What more could a girl want. She folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket. Miki headed home...  
  
AN: I'm sorry if this chappie sucks. I tried. R&R please. 


	2. Love in the Rain

Ice Cream to Share  
  
Chpt. 2  
  
Love Within the Rain  
  
---  
  
Miki sat at her desk staring at the tiny piece of paper that she had salvaged from her pocket. The voice of the strange man rang throughout her head: "Well, here's my number: 123-456-7890. Call me when ever. I'd really like to go out sometime. You seem nice. Not to mention super cute!" He was so nice to her, even if it was only for a couple hours. Yet, they had some pretty awesome connections. She had to admit, she was falling for this stranger. This Taka.  
  
"Maybe, just maybe, he really meant what he said...." Miki said to herself. She ran her finger along the numbers on the paper. All she had to do was press a few buttons, and poof, there he'd be, on the other line. Taka reminded her strongly of Yuu, but that relationship was over. Gone. Over. Never to come back.  
  
Miki got up and walked over to her phone. She stared at it blankly. Not knowing what to do, she picked up the receiver. Her finger moved slowly among the many buttons. She was still, and hard to believe, frightened. Not of being talked to, but of being rejected. Again. She slowly pressed each number. Slowly coming in reach of her newest hope. The phone rang.  
  
A familiar voice rang in the receiver after a few moments. It was soothing and soft. "Hello?"  
  
"Uhhh... hello, is Taka there?" Miki was unsure of herself. Like she was when she was with Yuu.  
  
"And who would this be?"  
  
"Miki Koishikawa." Every single word that was spoken was tense. This made Miki feel highly numb and nervous.  
  
"Oh, wassup babe?!" the voice suddenly went high and cheerful. Miki's tenseness was lifted. She smiled to herself. She felt happy again, as she was last night.  
  
"Taka? Is that you?"  
  
"Yep! I'm really happy that you called. I thought you wouldn't because I'm such a dork and you're like a super model." He seemed content with his negative attitude about himself.  
  
"You think I'm a super model? Me?" Miki walked over to her bed and sat down. She leaned her head on her pillow, like she would have done with a good friend. She laughed at his flattery.  
  
"Yeah, it's not that hard to think you're a babe. I mean look at you. Totally flaming!"  
  
"Heh, I wish."  
  
"Yeah, me too." He mocked teasingly.  
  
Miki scoffed. He was already charming her out of her wits. She loved the way he respected her, not to mention his looks, humor, and smarts.  
  
"Awww, don't be mad. I'm nuts over you. I wouldn't call you a babe if I hated you!"  
  
Miki smiled to herself. She felt like she was talking to a friend she had known for ages. "Okay."  
  
"That's more like it. So, watcha up to today?"  
  
Miki thought to herself. She had that lunch date with Meiko. She totally forgot. But somewhere in her mind, she wanted desperately to make room for Taka. "Umm... lunch date with one of my friends."  
  
"Oh. Sounds fun," There was a slight tone of disappointment in his voice. He was silent for a couple seconds.  
  
Miki couldn't stand the silence. She wanted to talk. To speak to Taka. She never felt this way with Ginta, so why was she feeling it now? Why? Of course, she never really phoned Ginta before, so there wasn't much to say on that matter.  
  
"Well, I work part time at the Rooney Diner, maybe you could have lunch there. I work today."  
  
Miki thought. It sounded nice, and she would be able to see Taka again. Maybe Meiko would like to go there too. "I guess, but I'll have to check with my friend."  
  
She heard Taka celebrate in the background. She smiled to herself again. Never had she smiled so much in one day. Maybe he was her second chance.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna call my friend. See ya later!" Miki said into the receiver.  
  
"Bye." Taka said, followed by the click of him hanging up. Miki held the phone to her head. She didn't want to say good-bye just yet, but she put down the phone any way. She called Meiko, and left for the diner.  
  
---  
  
The diner was full of people. Children were shuffling all over the place and mothers ran after them. The diner was extremely clean and flowers were draped all over. It smelled of delicious food and the fragrant of the flowers. Miki and Meiko stood at the door, waiting to be seated. Miki glanced around for Taka, and sure enough, he came. His hair was untidy, and his apron was dirty. But his green eyes were still sparkly. He was wearing tight jeans and Miki couldn't resist looking at his butt. Meiko giggled. Miki started at how cute he was. Astonished, Meiko looked at Miki. Taka ran over to Miki and grabbed her hand. She was shocked, but happy.  
  
"Hey, Miki. Glad to see that you could make it. You must be her friend." Taka said, pushing his hair out of his face and looking at Meiko.  
  
Meiko smiled. "Yes, I'm Meiko Akizuki. You must be Taka."  
  
Taka nodded and smiled. Miki loved his smile. He led them over to an empty table with four seats then walked away to get orders. Miki was examining the tea cups with little pink and blue flowers. Then she began staring at Taka in the corner of her eyes. Meiko smiled at her.  
  
"Miki, you seemed very interested with this Taka." Meiko took some napkins and handed them to Miki.  
  
"Thank you. Uhh... yeah." Miki blushed and looked down at the floor.  
  
"He seems nice enough. I think you two would make a cute couple."  
  
Miki looked up at Meiko. "You think so?"  
  
"Yes. He so handsome. It's funny that you met him in the mall though." Meiko giggled.  
  
"Yeah. I think it was some bizarre coincidence." Miki said.  
  
"No, I think its destiny."  
  
Miki looked at Meiko and then slipped her glance towards Taka. Maybe it was destiny. Who really knows? He saw her looking and posed some odd posses. He showed off his muscles (which weren't even there) and widely smiled. Miki laughed. Meiko sat quietly, observing the way the two were acting. They'd make a really cute couple, she thought. Taka walked over to their table and took their orders. It turned out that Miki ordered the extra-large hamburger and Meiko the medium salad.  
  
After eating, Miki and Meiko separated. Meiko had to go home to finish her current novel and also cook dinner for when Namura came home. Miki was left with nothing to do. Nothing at all. She decided to stay with Taka at the diner until he finished his shift. Luckily, there was only forty-five minutes of waiting for her to accomplish. After he finished his shift, the two went to get some ice cream.  
  
"I don't understand. Why didn't we just eat at the diner?" Miki asked softly.  
  
"Well, you get tired after eating at the same place day after day. You know what I mean?" he muttered and grinned at her.  
  
Miki returned his grin by looking at the floor. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear: "I'm sorry." She gazed up at him and smiled. He always made her smile.  
  
After a while, Miki noticed that Taka still had his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him (he's a couple inches taller than her) and blushed. Taka peered down at her.  
  
"Is there something bothering you, Miki?" He asked, not removing his arm.  
  
"It's just that your arm is still on my shoulder." Her cheeks tinged to cherry red.  
  
Taka took his arm off her shoulder immediately. He didn't even slightly glance down at her afterwards. Throughout the walk, he seemed to be thinking, or bothered. He didn't talk as much as he would have, and it bothered Miki. It reminded her of the time when she was on her last walk with Yuu. She had to say something.  
  
"Look, if I offended you in any way, Taka, I'm really sorry. I'm just not used to any touching right now."  
  
He stopped walking. Miki stopped shortly after him. His face was blank and empty. Then, he burst into a series of laughter. He bent this way and that. His hand was clutching his abdomen. Miki became furious.  
  
"Why are you laughing?!" she shouted.  
  
"You thought I was offended?"  
  
"Well, y-yes." Miki said. Her head ached.  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm fine. I understand that you're not ready for touching of any sort, but you were fine with it at the mall. I just assumed that you would be okay with it now." He stood next to her. What was going on in his head? He was always thinking of something odd when she thought he was sad or angered.  
  
"Well, you looked offended." She stammered.  
  
"Oh." That was all he had to say? "Oh"? Miki was shocked.  
  
He reached for Miki's face, cupped his hand and rubbed her cheeks with his thumb. Taka looked deep into her brown eyes, as if he was trying to tell her something. She couldn't decode it, but he was definitely telling something. Miki looked deep into his eyes. Taka started to lean forward. His hands moved from her cheeks to her waist. To Miki's surprise, her body was moving involuntarily towards him. Their lips met, and they kissed. They stood in the street kissing for several moments. She laced her hands around her neck and embraced him. His lips separated from hers and he held her. It started raining. Miki could feel the tiny prickles of the rain, but she didn't care, she was in love again. It astonished her that she had only known him for two days, but still, she loved him.  
  
Taka held her body next to his. Her warmness overjoyed him. Here he was, with an attractive girl, who was hugging him. He was in heaven. This was all he wanted. He felt the sharp stabs of the hard rain, but he needn't care. He knew Miki felt the same way he felt by the way she kissed him. So soft and gentle. He backed off from their embrace. Miki frowned.  
  
"I'm s-so sorry," she said.  
  
Taka smiled and leaned to whisper in her ear. She stood straining to listen to what he wanted to say. "I finally found out today, that I love you. If you think it's too soon, I understand. Give me a sign, any sign."  
  
Miki tore away from him. The rain pelted her skin. He too, was soaking in his own clothes, but he sustained a smile. It was soft and quiet. She couldn't help but smile back. Taka held his arms out. She fell into them and rest her head against his wet chest. The rain drenched them both as they stood together, hugging. He finally knew that she loved him too...  
  
---  
  
The next day, Miki found herself with a high fever. She called Taka and discovered that he had the same illness. She spent her sick days in her bed, looking for apartments for rent. A couple weeks before she met Taka, she had been offered a job as a designer for a top clothes brand. Miki sketched what had come up to her when she was bored. Three or four times a day, Chiyako, Jin, Rumi, or Youji would come up to her room and served her meals (which was often soup). She was quite content with her life right now, despite her illness.  
  
Then one day, Yuu phoned home.  
  
"Hey Miki," he spoke into the receiver. "I heard that you were sick, so I called."  
  
Miki only listened to what he said. She never spoke. She was too hurt.  
  
"Okay. I know that you're not so happy right now, but why are you so quite?"  
  
What he said ignited a flame of fury within her. He couldn't know if she was happy or not! He just couldn't! "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF I'M UNHAPPY?! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF I'M HAPPY EITHER?! YOU'RE JUST A A-ASS!"  
  
Yuu didn't speak. Miki was sweating and she was out of breath. He caused her the biggest pain in her life, yet he still had the nerve to call. Miki was disgusted.  
  
He heaved out a long breath and spoke quietly. "Miki,"  
  
Miki shook her head violently. Her grip on the receiver grew tighter. "No Yuu! Don't you dare say another word! You have no idea how I feel right now!"  
  
"Listen, I just called to see if you were okay. Not to talk about what happened between us. That was a long time ago, so just shut up about it."  
  
This guy had some nerve. "You tell me to shut up, but you have no idea how sad I was. I was miserable. Perfectly miserable. I don't want to hear you talk to me like I have no feelings. I hate it."  
  
Yuu drew a long breath. "Okay, please hear me out. That was a long time ago. Two years to be exact. Just get over it. Okay?"  
  
"No." She was frustrated. How could he just call and tell her to "get over it?" He was being a jerk, he was being stupid.  
  
"Fine." Miki heard the click of Yuu's receiver. He was gone. Miki slowly hung up the phone. She alone in her room...  
  
---  
  
AN: This chapter upset me a little bit. I don't know why.... 


	3. A Mouse of a Tale

I don't own these characters. :D  
  
Ice Cream to Share  
  
Chpt. 3  
  
A Mouse of a Tale  
  
---  
  
Miki was feeling a lot better than before. Her fever had finished its course yesterday, and today she felt like living her life again.  
  
Rumi stuck her head through a small gap in Miki's door. "Well, hello, you look well."  
  
Miki adjusted her gaze from her book to the door. She nodded, smiling.  
  
"That's good. I was beginning to think I would have to call the doctor again. Your fever was so high." Rumi sighed. She began tidying Miki's room. "Do you have any plans today?"  
  
Miki lifted her head in thought. "Well, I have a lunch date with Taka."  
  
"Taka?"  
  
Miki nodded. "He's my new boyfriend. I met him at the mall a month ago."  
  
"Wow, you never told us about him before." Rumi paused in her cleaning and looked at Miki.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell everyone. Only Meiko knows so far. You too."  
  
"Maybe you could bring him over to the house sometime. I'm pretty sure everyone would like to meet him." Rumi beamed at Miki for a second, and then began cleaning again.  
  
Miki sat on her bed watching Rumi sanitize her room. Maybe I should bring him, she thought. She began flipping through pages in her book.  
  
Rumi watched Miki out of the corner of her eye. Her hand fumbled around on the floor. She felt something soft and furry. Rumi picked it up and stared at it. She shrieked on horror.  
  
Miki looked up from her book. "What?! What is it?!"  
  
Rumi dropped what she was holding and ran over to Miki. She grasped Miki's shoulders and ran behind her. Miki could feel her mother tremble in fear. She listened quietly, as if she were waiting for something. Then she heard it. There was a soft squeaking. Miki crawled over to the edge of her bed and peered over. There was a small, gray rodent hiding behind the bed's leg. Miki tilted her head and watched it closely. Her hand reached out towards it. It wipped around and bit her index finger.  
  
"Aw shi--" Miki yelped as she withdrew her hand.  
  
"What happened?! Are you okay?" Rumi screamed from behind her.  
  
"It's nothing mom, the little tyke is just scared. He bit me." Miki looked over her bed again. The mouse was still there.  
  
"Be careful. I heard a rodent carries a lot of bacteria!" warned Rumi.  
  
"Ssh... you're scaring him." Miki pursed her lips. She reached for the small animal again. Her hand quickly grabbed a hold of the mouse as it squealed and twitched.  
  
She held it delicately, being careful not to smother him. She patted his head between his ears. The miniature rodent shivered and squealed in fear. Miki puckered her lips and talked him quietly.  
  
Rumi poked her head out from behind Miki. "What are you doing? Why are you holding it? It's filthy!"  
  
"Quiet mom! He's scared." Miki looked admiringly at the small, but cute creature. She spoke to it softly, "Aw, aren't you just the cutest 'lil baby in the world?"  
  
"Miki! He's filthy!" Repeated Rumi.  
  
Miki had had enough. With frustration and anger building up inside her, Miki thrust the rodent at Rumi.  
  
Rumi shrieked and flinched back. "G-get that t-thing away f-from me!"  
  
Miki's face ignited with rage. "Mother, why don't you just look at him! He's adorable. Right?"  
  
Rumi's hands slipped away from her face. She slowly turned her eyes to the itty-bitty mammal. She tilted her head in amazement and smiled. "Why Miki, you're right! He is cute!"  
  
Miki sighed and shook her head slowly. "Mom, I think I'll get ready to go meet Taka now. Can you put the mouse in a container so I can take him to pet store later?"  
  
Rumi nodded. She got up and trotted out of the room, holding the mouse. Miki watched after her. She smiled, got up, and closed the door to change.  
  
----  
  
Keys jingling and wide smile, Miki pranced out the door. She had changed from her light blue pajamas with a flower print, into a light pink blouse and a pair of denim capris. She walked to the driveway and unlocked her car door. With the engine revving, Miki took of to go to Rooney's Diner.  
  
She exited her car and walked across the parking lot into the diner. She stopped at a window on the left side of diner, cupped her eyes, and peered through. She saw Taka waiting on a young couple with two small children. He spotted her through the glass and waved. She waved back and walked to the door. Miki pulled open the door. Inside, it was nice and cool. It was obvious that the air conditioning was on.  
  
Taka walked over to Miki. "Hey baby," he said, grabbing her waist. "What's up?  
  
Miki smiled, "Oh, not much. Any ways, you do remember that we have a lunch date right?"  
  
Taka looked up at the ceiling and pinched his chin. "It has occurred to me that we never, ever go on evening dates."  
  
Miki blushed. "Ha.... You never have time."  
  
"You're wrong. I have a lot of time. Especially at night," he said quietly.  
  
"Okay, how about we go on a date tonight rather than a date now?" Miki suggested, smiling wickedly.  
  
"Don't smile like that. It's freaky."  
  
"That's what you think. I'm cursing you right now!"  
  
Miki narrowed her eyes. Taka scoffed. "Whatever!"  
  
"I'm not lying! Wanna know how I cursed you?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"You're going to take me on a date tonight."  
  
Taka smiled and shoved her out the door. "Okay, I'll take you on a date tonight, but please stop that."  
  
Miki de-narrowed her eyes. Taka smirked and shoved her out the door again. "Now get a move on, I gotta work."  
  
"Fine, bye-bye."  
  
He held the door open for her as she walked out. She walked across the lot and entered her car. As she drove by, she heard Taka yell: "Tonight at eight o'clock! I'll come by your place!"  
  
She smiled at him through her window and waved good-bye.  
  
---  
  
Miki sat alone in the darkness of her room. It was nearly seven o' clock. The sun had just set, and the moon had taken its place. She sighed, as she walked over to her night stand. She clicked on the small table lamp. Miki glanced at her watch. She sighed again. The closet to her right was large and filled with her lost and forgotten junk. Still, she managed to fumble out a red dress. She changed quickly and ran over to the bathroom across the hall. While she was fixing her hair, the thought of her perfect date entranced her. She smiled to herself and blew a kiss. She ran back into her room and dug in her closet for a matching purse. When it was found, she stuffed it quickly with her belongings. She looked at her watch again. It was seven-forty-five.  
  
There was a small peeping in her room. She quickly remembered the petite mouse she had found earlier with Rumi. With her loose hands, she grabbed the bin in which the mouse was trapped and carried it to the kitchen. There, she fed it cheese slivers. She talked to him quietly as she fed him by hand.  
  
"You know little fellow, I haven't named you yet." She rubbed her chin with her thumb. "Fluffy? No, that's to blonde. Would Mooches suit you? Nope, not at all."  
  
Miki paused to think. She looked nimbly at the mouse. He was so soft and fuzzy, yet so quiet. His nosed twitched as he ate. A perfect name flashed through her head. "Twitch! Ha! That's perfect!"  
  
She calmed down and stroked the mouse's head. She smiled.  
  
The door bell rang. Miki got up, grabbed her purse and walked to the door. Taka was standing outside. He was fixing his hair and straightening his shirt. Miki slowly opened the door.  
  
"Hey, are you ready?" he said softly, looking at her.  
  
"Yes, shall we go?"  
  
"Yeah." Taka took Miki's hand and led her down the driveway to his car. Miki was immediately stricken with surprise. On the street, was a shiny, new cherry red convertible. Miki's jaw gaped open. Taka looked down at her and smiled.  
  
"Like it? It's rented." He smiled awkwardly at her.  
  
She sighed and walked into the car.  
  
And off they went...  
  
---  
  
Taka parked the in a really crowded lot. Miki looked quizzically at him. "Why are we going to such a crowded restaurant?"  
  
"You'll see." Was all he said to her before they entered the restaurant.  
  
Miki walked awkwardly inside as Taka held the door for her. She half expected more pinkness, and she half expected a totally different surprise. Taka held his hand over her eyes and guided her along.  
  
------------------------  
  
Hey this is Tomodachi here! I definitely, positively, absolutely, hated this horrifying chapter. 


	4. A New Friend

**I don't own theses characters.**   
  
**Ice Cream to Share**   
  
_Chapter Four_   
  
A New Friend  
  
--- 

There was a lot of bustling and people in the restaurant. Miki could tell as they walked that Taka was talking to people around him. Each time she heard his voice, it was cheery and hushed. Miki smiled.  
  
An unfamiliar voice rang out above the rest of them. It was high pitched and happy. "Taka, dear! You have finally come to visit your little sister! How long has it been? Three years?!"  
  
Taka removed his hands from Miki's eyes to hug the person with the cheery voice. It was a lady. Obviously younger than him, she was about five years of a difference. She was his sister. Her cinnamon brown hair waved whenever she moved and she shared Taka's forest green eyes. They broke off their long hug and looked at Miki.  
  
"Takumi, this is my girl friend Miki Koishikawa. I met her a few months ago." Taka presented Miki, holding his hand towards her.  
  
Takumi smiled, revealing pearl white teeth. "So you are the girl he has been talking so restlessly about! I'm honored to be in your presence! Ha! I would've dressed better if I knew you two were going to show up!" She held out her arms towards Miki, pulling her into a hug. Taka laughed.  
  
"Takumi has always been the flower of the family. This is her restaurant, Lakuta Rise." Taka said.  
  
Miki paused and took a long look at her surroundings. Everything was so bright and colorful. The walls were painted soft yellow and the framed pictures were of flowers. Even the people were bright. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. There was even a cat the sat on the cash register, dozing in the sun.  
  
"Well, what do you think Miki. Can I call you Miki?" Takumi said, smiling.  
  
"I think it's lovely. There's so much color and everyone's laughing." Miki answered.  
  
Takumi smiled. "Okay, lemme show where you two will be seated!"  
  
Takumi led them around a mob of people in line and showed them to a table near one of the clean glass windows. Taka seated Miki and then walked over to his seat. Miki picked up a menu and glanced over it. It was mostly American food, nothing Japanese. Taka pretended to be reading the menu, but was secretly looking at Miki.  
  
She was so beautiful. Pale peachy skin, soft pink lips, and feathery brown hair, everything about her was perfect. She was kind, smart, and compassionate. It was like he struck gold. But instead, he struck _love_. He was taken out of his trance when Takumi came over to take their orders. Miki ordered pasta and Taka ordered a small slice of pizza.  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Taka…" Miki said, "did you bring me here on purpose? So I could meet your sister?"  
  
Taka smiled. "Yeah, she's really nice. She's always been by my side, no matter what happened. She even helped me escape from my parents."  
  
Confused, Miki asked, "Helped you escape from your parents?"  
  
"Yeah, my mom and dad wanted me to stay in Kyoto and take over their sewing company, but it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to own a diner, and I'm slowly making my way up to that point."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yep, I owe Takumi my life."  
  
"You love her a lot don't you."  
  
"Well, yeah. If she didn't help me, I wouldn't have been able to be here, sitting at the same table with you."  
  
Miki blushed.  
  
Takumi came out minutes later with their food. Luckily it was on the house, since they were family, even Miki. She was surprised that Takumi had thought of her as family. They, Miki and Taka, had only met a few months ago, and now here she is, considered part of his family. It suddenly struck Miki, Taka had never met _her_ family. Of course, she would be embarrassed by her crazy family, but they were her family. What could she do? Then there was Yuu. Taka would have to face her step-brother who had formerly been her boyfriend. That evil bastard.  
  
Miki glowered at the thought of Yuu. Taka stared at her, unknowing of what she was thinking, but continued consuming his food.  
  
---  
  
After the pair had finished their meal and said their good-byes to Takumi, they set off to the mall. Miki bought herself a small bag and a pair of fake emerald earrings. The whole time they were trolling the mall, Taka's hand was in Miki's. They were smiling, and laughing, just like any other happy couple would have been doing.  
  
Miki suddenly stopped. "Oh, I forgot to get the mouse I got this morning!"  
  
"What? A mouse?" Taka said confused.  
  
"Yeah, this morning I caught a mouse in my room. I was supposed to bring him to the pet store. Darn!" Miki was frustrated with herself.  
  
"It's okay Miki. The pet store probably won't even accept him. He's a wild mouse, not a pet mouse."  
  
"Yeah, I guess your right. So what should I do?"  
  
"Hmm…maybe you should keep him as a pet."  
  
"Okay, I think that's pretty much all I can do." Miki smiled. Taka smiled back.  
  
It was nearly nine o' clock when Taka had taken Miki home. They stood on her front porch, looking into each others' eyes. Taka pulled Miki into a long hug, and she hugged back. He pulled back and leaned towards her. To her surprise, Miki leaned towards him. Their lips touched in a long kiss. Miki wanted time to freeze forever.  
  
---  
  
In her room, Miki sat on a chair facing the tiny mouse. He was calmer than he was when she caught him, but now he was twitching a lot. Miki guessed that he was hungry and fed him a few pieces of cheese. He was inside a plastic box that Miki had scavenged from the basement, along with a few pieces of cardboard he could gnaw on. She saw him as a new friend.  
  
"Hmm…you need a name, don't you little fella?" she said to the mouse.  
  
"Fluffy, no, that's to original. Smokey, hardly, you're pure white. Lucky, Smelly, Lovely, Twinkle, Twitch. Twitch…that's a cute name. Twitch it is." She smiled.  
  
She fed Twitch a few more pieces of cheese. "Hey, Twitch, can I talk to you? I mean, you're the only person who'll listen to me. Well, there's this guy. His name's Taka and he's a total catch. Do you think that he's _the one_?"  
  
Twitch made a few squeaking sounds. "Haha. Me too…I think I can marry this guy. He's perfect. He's smart, funny, and handsome." Miki laughed.  
  
She looked at her clock hanging on the wall. The hands determined that it was nearly twelve. "Well, I better get a good night's sleep. I've got a lot of things to do tomorrow. Yeah right…"  
  
---  
  
AN: OMG. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had to move and all my stuff has been packed into boxes. My computer was the last thing set up. LOL. I hope you enjoy and please R&R. 


End file.
